Batting

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University softball team played second-ranked Emory University even through the first four-and-a-half innings, but the Eagles scored twice in the late innings to emerge with 3-0 University Athletic Association victory.

Both teams had their chances in the early frames, as there were no 1-2-3 inning recorded in the entire contest. Brandeis sophomore CF Amanda Genovese (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) led off the game with a bunt single and stole second and third, but Emory pitcher Sydney Carpenter struck out the side to avoid allowing the early run.

Emory's Lauren Goredetsky tried to manufacture a run of her own in the bottom of the first, when she singled up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and stole third. Brandeis senior pitcher Casey Ducinski (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) was up to the task, however, getting a foul pop and a strikeout of her own to retired the side.

The Judges mounted a serious threat in the top of the third. Ducinski led off the inning with a single to third base, followed by another bunt hit by Genovese. The two moved to second and third on a wild pitch, and Carpenter issued a walk to rookie shortstop Madison Gagnon (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake) to load the bases. The Eagle hurler wriggled her way out of the jam, however. Carpenter got a tapper back to the circle for a force at home on the first out. For the second, Emory caught Genovese trying to take too large of a lead off third base and picked her off, and a strikeout kept the Judges off the board.

Brandeis returned the favor in the bottom of the third, when Emory loaded the bases with one out. Ducinski got a line-out and a ground out to sophomore Anya Kamber (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline) at third base. After a relatively uneventful fourth and top of the fifth, Emory finally broke through against Ducinski when right fielder Ally Kersthold led off the frame with her first home run of the season.

Brandeis had a chance to get the run back in the top of the sixth when rookie 2B Danielle Novotny (Milford, N.J./Delaware Valley) and sophomore catcher Cori Coleman (Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale South) each drew a walk, but EU reliever Amanda Kardys got a strikeout and a ground out to maintain the one-run lead. The Eagles got two insurance runs in the sixth as the Judges committed three costly errors. In the Brandeis seventh, Ducinski reached on a one-out single and got to third with two away, but Kardys nailed down the save with a grounder to short.

Ducinski had a fine all-around performance for the Judges in the losing effort. She went 2-3 and reached on an error at the plate, while allowing just five hits in 5.2 innings in the circle. Only one of her three runs allowed was earned as she struck out five and walked two. Genovese also had two hits for the Judges, while two more stolen bases gives her 17 for the season and nine for the tournament. Genovese is four shy of the UAA single-season stolen base record with three games to play.

Gorodetsky was the only player with multiple hits for Emory, while Kersthold's home run produced the game's only RBI. Carpenter improved to 4-0 with five innings of four-hit, nine-K pitching, while Kardys earned her second save of the season with two innings of one-hit ball.

Brandeis returns to action tomorrow with contests against No. 24 Washington University and the University of Rochester at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively.